Totally from the Heart, "Unperfectionized" in the Words of my Daughter, Marianna.

Scout, Dill and Jem from To Kill a Mocking Bird as they peer into the courtroom, their father, Atticus played by Gregory Peck is the ultimate gentleman and walking lesson in humility as well as the defendant, Tom Robinson.

I was in the mood to blog...My mother is here today but is napping, so I thought I'd squeeze a blog in.

Last night it was just hubby and I, our four daughters had scooted out to a Bible Study so it was one of those oh my. It's just hubby and I, what am I going to fix for sup?

By the way, I'm listening to the theme to To Kill a MockingBird and the song, Boo Who is playing, oh it's so very beautiful, so sentimental. If you know me, it's just me. It just screams life at me...past, present, future... I'm remembering my dad when he was young and how I worry about him now. He and mother are 80 years old but my father lives three hours away. I'm an only child. Enough said?

Life travels before us...My daughters who I thought would forever be young and climbing trees, playing with baby dolls are now old enough to be moms with babes of their own, my baby, Rebecca is 16 and has established with the good Lord's help that photography will very well be her vocation these days...She's my artsy one.


~Self Portrait by Rebecca

The one with the blue green eyes and light hair, the sensitive one who tries to hide it. Once when my dad was visiting years ago, his pipe ashes had dropped on our new carpet. He had no idea. After he had left we found little burn holes in our carpet. I never mentioned it to my dad....No. It wouldn't have done anything but harm. But my little one, Rebecca...She was so sweet, she said in her little voice...

"It's okay Mommy, Grandpa didn't mean anything...he didn't mean anything..."

Now she is more of a quiet gal, very contemplative but when we have buddy time she talks and shares her heart and I enjoy that very much. Her quiet waters run deeply, and the sensitivity is there but under wraps these days as she tries to retain her young lady dignity and I see her blossom with her own unique style and such...It seems not long ago she cried real tears as she held one of our dogs, Charlie at the pound, tears running down her cheeks as she said she loved him. He had been the pet of the week, we had just lost one of our sweet dogs and the newspaper photo of Charlie so resembled her. I remember my husband's loafers there as I sat down squatting next to her and our Charlie... Rebecca was to buy Charlie with her birthday money in a tattered birthday card envelope she had brought to the pound. Charlie lives here now along with our other three doglets. Two others were literally rescued from the streets. They are truly our fur angels and I do not believe God takes it lightly how we treat animals. The older I become the more in tune I am with that.

"Charlie" taken by ~Rebecca

Last night it was just hubby and I as I was saying...the girls had stepped out to a young people's Bible study in the metro.

Hubs offered to pick something frozen at the wholesale club but ya know...I had frozen chicken breasts in the freezer, much simpler I say. We didn't want to go out because tonight hubs and I will go out while Mother is here. Mother loves to cook up something for she and the girls and then she and our girls watch an old movie... Fun times. Hubs and I step out for a date of sorts.

I threw together a nice little recipe...Oh and by the way, do you know what I call hubby and I? I call us Jem and Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, and sometimes when he is "misbehaving" ; ) I call him Dill. I'm not near as tom-boyish as Scout but when we visit the countryside an entire other side of me comes out...It's the side that will even spit into the trees. Yes! I do that, (when no one is looking of course). I have to laugh to myself when I do that, Most people would never imagine...never.

Okay, back to my recipe. This was quick and easy and I did not take a pic. So imagine away...

RECIPE:

I just took two frozen chicken breasts out. Frozen still....I put dijon mustard on them and drizzled with honey. I then sprinkled liberally with garlic powder, parsley and basil flakes and put them in the oven at 400...Oh for about 20 minutes....Then I flipped them over and put the same ingredients on the other side plus added water to make it's own glaze so to speak. After that side was done a bit, I sliced them butterflied thinly and let them finish up in that wonderful sauce it created for itself. It was delicious. So in a little over 40 minutes I had a luscious dinner.

I served it with brown rice and pea salad. My pea salad? I put vinegar and oil along with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and refrigerate. I used canned peas. I don't use canned veggies very often but this is the way it was fixed when I grew up. My entire family loves it...You can make this with fresh green beans too. It's wonderful on a warm day.

That's the rambles and thoughts from me this week at least for now... Speaking above of To Kill a Mockingbird, I wrote an entry on my other blogspot, Vision for a Godly Home, entitled What Character do We Play?

Also I've just recently posted a precious, precious Red Skelton video on The Pledge of Allegiance, it will bless your heart,it's there on Vision for a Godly Home as well.

Let's remember, life is whirring faster and faster, it's like a roller coaster. What will we write in our journal of life today? What character do we play?

Take care, let's look to the Lord, He is our Hope. ~Amelia